Canada's Queen

As Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II embodies the Canadian state. She is the source of law, the principal guardian of the constitution, the &quotfount of honour&quot, the focus of allegiance and the personification of &quota life consecrated to service&quot (Christopher Plummer, speaking on Parliament Hill, Canada Day, 2010). A biography of The Queen is available on the Canadian Heritage website here, and more information about her life and activities throughout the Commonwealth can be found on our links page. This article simply lists some of the significant events highlighting her continuous involvement with Canadians during her reign of over 62 years.

A complete record of The Queen’s Canadian homecomings together with much other information about our monarchy, including a list of organizations granted Royal Patronage and the designation &quotRoyal&quot, may be found at the Canadian Heritage website here.

The Queen's Canadian military Appointments

Reflecting her role as Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces, The Queen holds the following honorary appointments as Colonel-in-Chief, except where noted:

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise’s)

The Calgary Highlanders

The Canadian Grenadier Guards

The Canadian Armed Forces’ Legal Branch

The Canadian Military Engineers

The 48th Highlanders of Canada

The Governor General’s Foot Guards

The Governor General’s Horse Guards

The King’s Own Calgary Regiment

Le Régiment de la Chaudière

The Rocky Mountain Rangers

The Royal New Brunswick Regiment

The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery (as Captain General)

The Royal 22e Régiment (&quotThe Van Doos&quot)

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Portrait

Some Canadian Highlights of the Reign

1953 - &quotQueen of Canada&quot

The Royal Style and Titles Act is passed by Parliament, making Elizabeth II officially &quotQueen of Canada&quot

1953

1957

The Queen opens her Parliament in Ottawa

1957

1959 - The St. Lawrence Seaway

The Queen of Canada travels to the United States of America, where she opens the St. Lawrence Seaway together with President Eisenhower during a 45-day tour of all 12 provinces and territories

1959

1964 - Centenary of Confederation Conferences

The Queen attends events in Charlottetown and Québec City to mark the centenary of the conferences leading to Confederation in 1867

1964

1967 - Canada's Centenary

The Queen celebrates Canada’s centenary by visiting Ottawa and Expo 67, the World’s Fair, held in Montréal

1967

1970

The Queen begins her custom of visiting provinces marking their centenary within Confederation: Manitoba in 1970 (together with the centenary of the Northwest Territories); British Columbia in 1971; Prince Edward Island in 1973 (together with the 300th anniversary of the founding of Kingston, Ontario, and the centennial celebrations of the RCMP); Saskatchewan and Alberta in 2005

1970

1973 - Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Receiving guests while in residence at Rideau Hall, The Queen presides at the annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Ottawa

1973

1976 - Montréal Olympics

The Queen declares open the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal; with Prince Philip and her children, she supports Princess Anne as she competes in Olympic equestrian events at Bromont, Québec

1976

1977 - Silver Jubilee

Canada’s monarch celebrates her Silver Jubilee by opening Parliament and visiting the National Capital Region

1977

1978 - Commonwealth Games, Edmonton

The Queen declares open the 11th Commonwealth Games in Edmonton in the course of a 12-day homecoming

1978

1982 - Constitution Act

The Queen proclaims the patriated Constitution of Canada in a ceremony held on Parliament Hill

1982

1983

While visiting the United States, The Queen informs President Reagan that &quotI am going home to Canada tomorrow&quot, subsequently making a four-day homecoming to British Columbia

1983

1984 - New Brunswick and Ontario Bicentenaries

Canada’s Sovereign celebrates the bicentenaries of the founding of New Brunswick and Ontario in the course of a 13-day homecoming

1984

1987 - Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

During a 16-day homecoming, The Queen presides over the annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Victoria

1987

1992 - 125th Anniversary of Confederation

The Queen celebrates the 125th Anniversary of Confederation by presiding at Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill

1992

1994 - Canadian D-Day Commemorations

As Canada’s monarch, The Queen presides at Canadian D-Day commemorations in France. During a 10-day homecoming, she declares open the 15th Commonwealth Games in Victoria. Accompanied by her Canadian prime minister, she dedicates the Canada Memorial, honouring the fallen of both World Wars, at Green Park, London

1994

1997

In the course of a 10-day homecoming, The Queen attends the 500th anniversary landing re-enactment of the Matthew, at Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador

1997

2002 - Golden Jubilee

The Queen celebrates the Golden Jubilee with a homecoming to the five regions of Canada

2002

2004 - 60th Anniversary of D-Day

As Queen of Canada, the Sovereign attends the Canadian commemoration service marking the 60th anniversary of D-Day, at Juno Beach, Courseulles-sur-Mer, France

2007 - Re-dedication of the Vimy Memorial

2010 - Canada Day Ceremonies

Unprecedented numbers of Canadians hail their Queen as she presides for the fifth time at Canada Day ceremonies on Parliament Hill during a 10-day homecoming

2010

2015 - Re-opens Canadian High Commission

The Queen re-opens the Canadian High Commission, London

The Queen creates the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers

2015

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

The Duke of Edinburgh has supported the work of The Queen in her Canadian Realm since their marriage in November of 1947. Philip has accompanied Her Majesty on most of her Canadian homecomings, but also made a number of tours on his own, reflecting his many patronages and involvements in our country, which includes the support of over 40 organizations ranging from the College of Family Physicians of Canada to Outward Bound Trust-Canada.

Notable among these commitments has been The Duke of Edinburgh's Award in Canada. Founded in 1956, and established in Canada in 1962, the Award Scheme has since spread to 140 countries and some eight million participants, with the aim of encouraging personal development and community involvement amongst young people. Over 44,000 Canadian youth participated in the Award in 2015. Now in his tenth decade, HRH the Duke has personally presented many of the Gold Award certificates (the highest of three levels of achievement) in his role as Patron and Chairman of Trustees. HRH has gradually turned over many responsibilities in the Award to his third son, Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, who in the fullness of time will succeed to his father's dukedom.

Prince Philip's Canadian Military Appointments

Prince Phillip has also maintained a significant involvement with the Canadian Forces. These include his appointments as Honorary Admiral and General, and his serving as Colonel-in-Chief of the following units:

The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa - Duke of Edinburgh's Own

The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada

The Royal Canadian Army Cadets

The Royal Canadian Regiment

The Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment)

The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada

Prince Philip is Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Regiment

The Duke's most recent return to Canada came during a whirlwind 24 hours in Toronto on April 26-27, 2013. At 91, HRH was hailed by enthusiastic crowds as he led commemorations of the bicentennial of the War of 1812 with his Royal Canadian Regiment. During the visit, the Governor General of Canada presented him with Canada's highest honours, those of Extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada and Companion of the Order of Military Merit.

Outspoken- as has been his disposition throughout the Reign- two of Prince Philip's most notable interventions in Canadian life have centered on health and the place of the Monarchy. During an extensive homecoming in 1959 in which he joined The Queen, the Duke addressed the Canadian Medical Association in Toronto, Anticipating the fitness craze by about a decade, HRH encouraged better health amongst young people by &quotproper physical education in schools, adequate recreational facilities...&quot with implied criticism that not all agreed with at the time.

More controversial were the Duke's comments at an Ottawa press conference in 1969, a time when the place of the monarchy was perhaps most under threat in Canada:

The monarchy exists in Canada for historical reasons and it exists in the sense that it is of benefit, to the country or to the nation. If at any stage any nation decides that the system is unacceptable then it's up to them to change it. I think it's a complete misconception to imagine that the Monarchy exists in the interests of the Monarch - it doesn't. It exists in the interests of the people: in a sense - we don't come here for our health, so to speak. We can think of other ways of enjoying ourselves...

Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh
Ottawa, 1969

The final comments caused a typical flap but later, as The Canadian Encyclopedia reflects, came to be seen as encouraging open discussion about the Monarchy's future in Canada.